USMAPS Academics

The USMAPS academic program aligns with the U.S. Military Academy core curriculum and provides tailored instruction to best meet the needs of individual Cadet Candidates.

USMAPS Academics

The USMAPS academic program aligns with the U.S. Military Academy core curriculum and provides tailored instruction to best meet the needs of individual Cadet Candidates.

Improvement at All Levels

A central goal of the academic program is to prepare cadet candidates for the rigors of the U.S. Military Academy's rigorous core curriculum. USMAPS employs a variety of proven methods and resources to help cadet candidates develop the knowledge required to successfully navigate the demanding courses at West Point.

Individualized Approach

Based upon their performance on a series of diagnostic tests, cadet candidates are placed into specialized English and mathematics "tracks" so that they may receive instruction tailored appropriately to their current level of understanding.  

This flexible academic approach allows cadet candidates to improve in weak areas while continuing to grow in areas where they already possess a solid foundation.  Tracks range in difficulty from fundamental to advanced placement.  During the academic year, cadet candidates can move between tracks, and upward movement is encouraged whenever possible.

USMAPS Academic Leadership

Colonel Victor M. Deekens, PhD

Dean, USMAPS

COL Victor M. Deekens was commissioned as an officer in the Signal Corps in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Virginia. COL Deekens has also earned a Master of Arts (Educational Psychology, Measurement, and Evaluation) and a PhD (Learning Sciences and Psychological Studies) in Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as well as a Master of Science Degree in Information Technology Management from the University of Maryland Global Campus.

COL Deekens has served in a variety of leadership positions including as the Battalion Operations Officer and Executive Officer in the 72nd Expeditionary Signal Battalion, Schweinfurt, Germany, as well as the Communications Advisor (G6), for the 8th Theater Sustainment Command, Fort Shafter, Hawaii.  Most recently, COL Deekens served as the director of the Psychology Program in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at USMA. 

Read more about the Dean at USMAPS Contact Academic Department

USMAPS Academic Departments

Our Mission: The mission of the USMAPS Department of English is to help cadet candidates read critically and write argumentatively, preparing them for success in the humanities portion of the Plebe curriculum at the U.S. Military Academy.

Objectives

The department will accomplish this mission by enabling cadet candidates to do the following:

  • Write critically in a variety of academic contexts by using the process approach to writing. 
  • Read and think critically using a variety of different texts using the conversational approach to reading. 
  • Speak and listen in class discussions, oral presentations, and course conferences. 
  • Document written and spoken work properly to showcase the traits of good scholarship. 
  • Appreciate the roles of the humanities (history, literature, culture, and the life of the mind) in being a leader of character. 

Our Mission:  The mission of the USMAPS Department of Mathematics is to educate cadet candidates in core mathematics concepts so that each graduate has the mathematical foundation to succeed in the mathematics department at the U.S. Military Academy.

Objectives

  1. The department will accomplish this mission by enabling cadet candidates to do the following:
  2. Acquire a body of knowledge
  3. Communicate effectively
  4. Apply technology
  5. Become competent and confident problem solvers
  6. Develop Habits of Mind

Our Mission: The mission of the USMAPS Department of Natural Sciences is to develop scientific process skills along with mastering essential science concepts to prepare cadet candidates to succeed in the science curriculum at the U.S. Military Academy.

Objectives

The department will accomplish this mission by enabling cadet candidates to do the following:

  1. Embrace the values of academia to include academic integrity, informational literacy, technological literacy, and commitment to science
  2. Use interactive practices including communication, management, and collaboration to work within teams and lead peers
  3. Comprehend foundational scientific concepts
  4. Apply and analyze scientific concepts using logical, critical thinking processes to solve multistep problems
  5. Develop laboratory skills and conduct experiments

Academic Schedule & Grading

Academic weeks are organized with "1" days and "2" days running alternately.  This program allows flexibility in scheduling required courses and for efficiency in the use of instructors and facilities.  The academic year consists of four quarters, averaging 36 classroom days each.  Teachers grade accordingly to accomplish the standard objectives and criteria.  Test results are not curved.  All students who attain the same level of performance against the standard receive the same grade.
 
All cadet candidates are expected to work diligently to surpass course standards in all areas.  Those cadet candidates who do not perform to the course standards are counseled, given specific remedial actions to improve performance, and provided an opportunity to remediate the material.  Cadet candidates who repeatedly fail to attain course standards may be disenrolled. 

Center for Enhanced Performance (CEP)

Our Mission:  The mission of the USMAPS Center for Enhanced Performance is to facilitate cadet candidates’ development and increase readiness for the U.S. Military Academy.

Objectives

The Center for Enhanced Performance will accomplish its mission by enabling cadet candidates to do the following: 

  • Adapt to USMAPS and USMA norms and expectations
  • Apply self-regulatory strategies to maximize preparation and performance in the academic, physical, military, and character domains
  • Orient towards a growth mindset in learning and well-being
  • Exhibit self-efficacy within performance contexts

CEP Support for Cadet Candidates

The Student Success Seminar focuses on the following:

  • Transition to USMAPS & USMA
  • Self-Regulation 
  • Learning Strategies & Techniques
  • Reflection & Capstone Project

Academic Coaching and Mentoring provides support for cadet candidates in the following ways:

  • Individual Needs Assessment
  • Goal Setting
  • Cadet Candidate Development Team
  • Personal & Social Development

The Academic Improvement Program provides the following services for cadet candidates who require them:

  • Academic Interventions
  • Remediation Plans

The Tutor Progam provides support for cadet candidates in the following ways:

  • Supervise Academic Officers
  • Tutor Training
  • Group Study & Review Sessions

Performance Enhancement and Sport Psychology provides support for cadet candidates in the following ways:

  • Team Building
  • Mental Skills Training
  • Injury Recovery/Concussions
Athletics

The USMAPS Department of Physical Education and Athletics provides cadet candidates with a world-class physical developmental program, led by top-tier staff and faculty focused on developing leaders of character.

Learn more about athletics at USMAPS
Military Training

Military training begins on the first day the cadet candidates arrive and is integrated into the academic year curriculum through a military science program. Military training also includes a focus on character development. 

Learn more about military training at USMAPS